William d



(No Model.)

W. 1). ANDREWS.

MEANS FOR EXHAUSTING AIR FROM LIQUID REbEIVING VESSELS 0R OASINGS.

No. 349,420. atented Sgpt. 21,1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM ANDREWS, OF BROOKHAVEN, NElV YORK.

MEANS FOR EXHAUSTING AIR FRO M LlQUlD-RECilVING VESSELS 0R CASINGS.

SFFECIPICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,420, dated September 21, 1886.

Application filed June 8, 1886. Serial No. 204,45l.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. ANDREws, of the town of Brookhaven, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Means for Exhausting Air from LiquidReceiving Vessels or Casings, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide means which enable an air-pump employed to exhaust the air from vessels or casings which receive liquid to be operated continuously to exhaust air without ever taking any liquid through the pump, even though the Vessel or casing may become entirely filled with liquid. As an example of one situation in which my invention may be advantageously employed,l would refer to my pending application for Letters Patent, N 0. 199,557, filed April 20, 1886. In that application I have shown and described a closed vessel or receiver, with which communicate pipes receiving water from a system of wells, and by the action of a pump of any suitable description water is constantly withdrawn through the closed vessel or receiver and a partial vacuum maintained therein. More or less air will enter the closed vessel or receiver through leaks in the wells or pipes, and in order that the water-pump which withdraws Water from the vessel or receiver may be operated effectively, it is necessary to exhaust the air from such vessel or receiver and prevent the accumulation of any material quantity of air therein. If an air-pump were connected with the top of a closed vessel or receiver in the usual way, the air-pump could not be operated continuously, because, after withdrawing all the air from the vessel or receiver, the latter would be filled with-water and the air-pump would draw water therefrom. In order to overco me this difficulty, I connect the air-pump with the vessel or receiver byapipe,which extends from the vessel or receiver upward beyondthe limit of atmospheric pressure to raise the water, whereby the air-pump may be operated continuously without pumping water, even though the vessel or receiver shall fill with water.

Although my invention is beneficial, as above described, in connection with a system of wells for procuring water from the earth, it may also (No model.)

advantageously beemployed in connection with other vessels or casings of various kinds which are to receive water or other liquids, and from which it is desired to exhaust the air continuously.

My invention therefore consists, essentially, in the combination, with a vessel or casing to receive liquid and from which air is to be exhausted, of an air-pump connected therewith by apipe, which extends from the vessel or casing upward beyond the limit of atmospheric pressure to raise said liquid, whereby the airpump may be operated continuously without pumping the liquid,even though the vessel or casing shall fill with liquid.

In the accompanying drawing I have represented an elevation of a closed vessel or receiver such as is shown in my aforesaid applica tion, and an arbitrary representation of an airpump connected with said vessel or receiver according to my invention.

A designates a closed vessel orreceivcr, with which communicate one or more pipes or water-mains, B. According to theinvention de scribed in my aforesaid pending application, each one of these mains has connected with it and receives water from a large number of wells, and, owing to leakages in the pipes or wells and from other causes, more or less air will enter into the system and will finally find its way into the vessel or receiver A. If asuction-pump were connected with the vessel or receiver A to withdraw water therefrom, the accumulation of any air in the vessel or re- 8 5 ceiver would effect the operation of the pump injuriously, and, in' order to remove any air which might find itsway into the receiver and prevent an accumulation of air therein, I employ an air-pump, O, which may be of any suitable character, and the purpose of which is to exhaust air from the vessel or receiver A. The air-pu mp G is connected with the vessel or receiver A by an air-suction pipe, D, provided with a valve, d, and extending upward from the vessel or receiver A beyond the limit of atmospheric pressure to raise water. This pipe D should therefore be carried upward from the vessel or receiver A toaheight of thirty-three or thirty-four feet above the top of the vessel or receiver, and is thence returned to the pump. When the pump is thus connected with the vessci or receiver A, the pump may be operated continuously, and solong as there is any air in the vessel or receiver it will be withdrawn by the pump. The continued operation of the pump after the air has all been exhausted from the vessel or receiver A will simply cause the water to rise in the pipe D as high as the atmospheric pressure will force it up, and the continued operation of the pump will therefore have no effect until more air has entered the vessel or receiver A.

It will be obvious that, according to my invention, the air-pump C may be arranged in any position relatively to the vessel or receiver- A,s0 long as the pipe D is carried at some point between the vessel or receiverAand the pump to a height whichis beyond the limit of atmospheric pressure to raise water.

Where my invention is employed for exhausting airfrom vessels, receivers, or casings which contain liquidlighter or heavier than water, it will be understood that the pipe D must be carried upward to a height corresponding to the specific gravity of the liquid contained in the vessel or receiver. For example, if the liquid in the receiver or vessel belighter than water, the pipe would have to be carried to a by a pipe, which extends from the vessel or casin g up ward beyond the limit of atmospheric pressure to raise said liquid, whereby the air pump may be operated continuously without pumping liquid, even though the vessel or casing shall fill with liquid, substantially as here in described.

\VM. D. ANDREXVS.

fitnesses:

O. HALL, FREDK. HAYNEs.

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